Joe Gransden, 53, a professional trumpet player and singer living in Atlanta, on his 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, as told to A.J. Baime. In the small town where I grew up—Williamsville, N.Y ...

The 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am could be had with either the 400 cubic-inch L78 6.6-liter V8 that made 180 horsepower, the Oldsmobile-based L80 403 that made 185 horses, or the optional 400 ...

This gorgeous Trans Am rolled off the assembly lines with a Nocturne Blue finish—it's one of the most beautiful colors on the 1979 Trans Am, but as usual, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

In 1982, the Trans Am, equipped with a 5.0 HO V8, produced 189 hp. That number increased over the decade of third-generation production, but only to 205 hp. It was a far cry from the glory days.

The SCCA Trans Am class was at its absolute pinnacle in the early 1970s, with factory-backed efforts from Ford, Chevrolet, AMC, Dodge, and Plymouth fighting for the top spots.

The second-gen Trans Am initially came with the Pontiac 400 like the 1969 models and eventually got the 455 as well. Later in the 1970s, Pontiac would try a new, turbocharged 4.9-liter V8.

Third gear is good to 99 mph, so the Trans Am doesn't want fourth until just after a quarter-mile of pavement has been in­haled. First gear is good to 50 mph, 60 coming up in 6.7 seconds.

The Trans Am Series has deployed 10 on-board cameras using LiveU in-camera live coverage at more than 20 races across the country this year as part of the 60-minute broadcasts airing on CBS Sports ...

But the fact that someone just paid a staggering $440,000 for a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am that left the factory with just 180 hp (183 PS) proves there’s serious money to be made in malaise-era metal.

A 1977 Pontiac Trans Am with 14 miles on its odometer has been auctioned for $440,000, which is a near record for the "Smokey and the Bandit" model.

The Trans Am Speedfest will be the first of eight major events over the course of the next seven months coming to the 2.238-mile, 11-turn Laguna Seca track this weekend.